The Department of Agriculture’s objective in its engagement with Europe on revising Ireland’s CAP strategic plan has been to keep as many details of the draft plan as much as possible.

The Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has indicated that if any areas of the plan that need additional details included are finalised “quickly” that the plan can be submitted for approval over the coming 10 days.

Minister McConalogue declined to state which elements of the plan still required amending before being submitted, but told the Irish Farmers Journal that only a “small number of outstanding issues” need tidying up.

“Massive effort went in to travelling the country to get the overall best plan. We are very keen on the back of that to deliver that plan at European level. So certainly, that is our objective,” he said.

The minister added that “daily engagement” is ongoing between his officials and those in the European Commission.